In the Arena
by drhorrible61
Summary: Korra's life is about to change when she's taken from her home to participate in the 70th Annual Hunger Games. Ships to be determined later. AU
1. Prologue

_AN: This is a Hunger Games inspired Korra story._

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, The Last Airbender: the Legend of Korra, or the Hunger Games trilogy.**

As I stand on the cliff overlooking the city my stomach fills with dread. As it does on this day every year. I can never stop the fear that comes with the reaping. I've already lost too many friends to it.

I never fear for myself. On the contrary; I want to be reaped. It would mean I could go home, assuming I win. Even if it was only for one day.

I miss my home so much. I haven't been there since I was seven, on the day I first bent water. It was a day I'll never forget. I'll never for get the look on my mother's face as they took me away.

After dad died she clung to me. She was born in District 9 and had no family at home, other than me.

The South Pole was a nice place if you like snow, which I do. We'd had five victors when I left, and two after.

There are no living victors here in the desert. We take our mentors from the South Pole, which is another reason why I hope to be reaped.

Curfew is soon and I already get in enough trouble with the Peacekeepers. Any more and my water privileges may decrease. Grandpa Sangok is probably worried. He's not my real Grandpa but he took me in when I got here, so he's like one.

All I can do now is look to tomorrow and hope for the best.

_AN_: _I will post more when I get ten reviews or after a week, which ever comes first._


	2. Chapter 1: The Reaping

_AN: Here is Chapter 1._

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra, or the Hunger Games Trilogy.**

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><p>"Korra wake up! Today's the day," Grandpa yelled from the other room.<p>

I get out of bed and look at my clock: 8:00. Two hours before the reaping. I go into the other room for breakfast.

"Toast," says Grandpa.

"I can see that," I respond.

"Eat quickly and get your formal robes. If you're good I just might get a treat after the reaping."

"Cake?"

"Yep. We can invite the boy from next door and his family. I know you fancy him."

"I do not," I say, blushing.

"Liar," Grandpa says flatly.

"I don't have a chance with Sakari anyway," I state, taking a bite of my toast.

"Don't say that. You're a special girl and I'm certain he's noticed."

"It doesn't matter," I say, finishing my toast.

"I guess not. Go get ready while I put the dishes away."

I exit the room and enter my bedroom. The robes are old; they belonged to Grandpa's niece many years ago, before the reaping took her. They're a beautiful blue with orange red runes on the back and sides. The symbol that represented the Water Tribes rests on the left sleeve. The Fire Nation symbol lays on the opposite side. The sandals on my feet are made entirely of wood. The weather watchers don't think there will be a sandstorm today but I'll bring my cloak just in case.

I walk back into the other room to find Sakari and his family. His parents are talking to Grandpa. Sakari speaks to me.

"Hi Korra."

"Hi," I respond.

"Sangok invited us in so we could walk with you to the reaping."

"Cool. We should probably get going now," I say loudly so Grandpa can hear it.

"Okay Korra," Grandpa says in reply.

As we walk towards Town Square we see all the other families on their way. Everyone is required to watch, and all kids ages twelve to eighteen years old are required to enter.

We arrive at Town Square to find it nearly full. Sakari and I split away to join the other kids. I look up at the stage and see two men who must be the mentors. One is an elderly man who looks like he has to pee and the other is a middle aged man with a large brown beard and grey eyes.

At that moment Joo Dee walks onto the stage. She's dressed in simple green robes and has long brown hair. Her face is locked in it's perpetual smile but her eyes show the usual unhappiness outsiders and new residents show here. A parasol rests unused in her bag. Its frilly and pink.

"Good morning District 10," announces the mayor from the podium. "Today is the day we've all been anticipating for weeks. The day you find out which two lucky kids will fight for glory and honor in the 70th annual Hunger Games. Seventy-five years ago the great and powerful Fire Nation burnt the Earth Kingdom to the ground and the Avatar failed to stop them. Because his body was never recovered we don't know if he survived, but it doesn't matter, not anymore. From there the Fire Nation conquered the Water Tribes and gained dominion over everything. There was rebellion in what was left of the world so Phoenix King Ozai devised a solution: the Hunger Games. He chose two children from each district and placed them in an arena with eight children of traitors from his nation. Since then there has not been a single uprising among you. And that is the story of how we achieved world peace. Now Joo Dee will begin the reaping."

It's the same as every year. The mayor gives his spiel about how the Hunger Games are justified and that its somehow an honor to fight in them. It makes me sick. Joo Dee is about to begin with the reaping.

"Hello I'm Joo Dee." She speaks with her usual smile. "It's my honor to guide the tributes to United Republic and to the Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favor."

That phrase took on a new meaning after it was first said. They say it was a sarcastic comment made by the male District 12 tribute from the first games.

"We'll start with the girls. And our first tribute is..."

I can feel the dread and anticipation building inside me.

"Korra."

I smile to myself, these games will be easy.

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><p><em>AN: I'll post Chapter 2 in a week or when this story hits ten reviews.<em>


	3. Chapter 2: Goodbyes

**I don't own the Hunger Games, Avatar: the Last Airbender, or the Last Airbender: the Legend of Korra.**

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><p>"Korra!" announces the voice of Joo Dee.<p>

I smile to myself; this will be fun. I make my way through the crowd and onto the stage. I can see Grandpa in the crowd and I can see how pale he is. They pull a name but I don't notice until I hear a voice.

"I volunteer," yells a familiar voice.

I turn towards the source: Sakari. I can see that there were already tears on his mother's face. His brother must have been reaped. He gets on stage next to me.

"Fancy meeting you here," he says to me.

"Indeed," I reply, my eyes still on his mother. I'm having second thoughts about winning now.

"Let's here a round of applaud for your tributes, Korra and Sakari," says  
>Joo Dee. Other than her there's only one person applauding. I hear it somewhere to my right, must be the mayor.<p>

After the anthem plays we're brought into Town Hall. There are two rooms waiting for us. I'm brought into the one on the left.

I wait for a few minutes when, suddenly, Grandpa enters the room. He's never looked as old as he does right now.

"Grandpa," I say. He doesn't say anything in response but walks up and hugs me. People don't often hug here due to the heat.

"Korra, I want you to know that I've loved you like a daughter. We don't have much time so I want to give this to you." He puts something in my hand.

I look down and see it's a betrothal necklace. It has two fish circling each other, one black and one white.

"That was my wife's. We always wanted kids but we were never able to. She died when she was thirty. She told me I should sell the necklace but I could never bring myself to do it. I want you to have it."

"Grandpa I..." The words get caught in my throat. He kisses my forehead and looks at me.

"Your time is up," says the peacekeeper from the doorway.

"Goodbye Grandpa."

"Goodbye, Korra. Give my best to Sakari."

I nod. I don't trust myself to say any more without crying, and I need to be strong now.

I'm brought to a sand sailor outside. I've seen old ones and they're nothing like these. These are metal and are powered by firebending. They don't even have sails. You can barely call it a sailor.

We arrive at the station to find an old war balloon waiting to take us up to an airship. I look around to see people waiting to see us off. We step onto the balloon and I look back over the place that's been my home for the past nine years. Hopefully they'll have a champion soon. I'm vaguely aware of being whisked into the airship. For a moment I wonder if I will ever see it again.


	4. Chapter 3: Mentors

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, The Last Airbender: the Legend of Korra, or the Hunger Games trilogy.**

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><p>Upon entering the airship I'm taken to a dining room. The mentors are already at the table. On one end of the table sits Joo Dee and on the other sits a man I don't recognize.<p>

"Hiroshi Sato," the man says extending his hand. "Captain of the ship and head of security."

"Now is the time when you meet your mentors," says Joo Dee. I'm suddenly aware that Sakari is also in the room; they must have taken him up on another balloon.

"For Sakari we have Yukon," she continues, gesturing at the older man on the right. "And for Korra, Tenzin." She gestures towards the other man. Now that I see him up close, his grey eyes have a certain twinkle to them. I sit across from him and Sakari sits to my right, across from his mentor. Suddenly, Tenzin raises his finger in the air in a way that seems to mock Joo Dee and begins to speak.

"It's nice to meet you," he says to the two of us. "After lunch we will see you seperately to discuss plans and strategies."

The meal continues in silence with Joo Dee occasionally trying to start a conversation that never goes anywhere. I'm not looking to talk anyway. I haven't had so much to drink at one time since I came to the desert, its amazing. Tenzin is the first to leave. As he's getting up he stops for a moment.

"The guards will escort you to your room when you're done. There will be clothes for you to change into and then you will be escorted to a meeting room where we can get to know each other."

I finish soon after and the guards escort me to my room. It has a queen sized bed on the wall to the left and chest of drawers on the wall shared by the door. On the right there's a door that I presume leads to a bathroom. On the opposite wall there's a small window. I walk up to it and I can see the ground thousands of feet below me. The sand is gone; replaced by charred dirt. Travelers say the ground never really recovered from the Rain of Fire.

I quickly change into the outfit on the bed. It's a simple brown top and a black, full length skirt. I step back into the hall and the guards escort me to a meeting room. Inside, Tenzin is kneeling at a Pai Sho table.

"Ah, Korra wonderful to see you. Please have a seat." he says motioning to the spot across from him. "You," he says, pointing at the guards, "can go now." He speaks to me once again.

"The guest makes the first move."

"Why are we playing Pai Sho?" I ask, placing a lotus tile in the center of the board.

"I feel the best way to get to know someone is over Pai Sho," he answers. "From that move I can tell you're a practitioner of tradition."

"This is the opening move Grandpa makes. He always beats me so I thought if gave it a try..."

"Then you believe imitating success ensures success," he states. "Which implies you don't think things through for yourself, which is unusual for people in the Desert."

"I wasn't born there."

"I know, I was there the day you left."

"You were?"

"I was. You've grown so much since then."

"How has my mother has been?"

"Fine. She hasn't fully recovered but she's better than she was."

"That's good I guess."

"So what are your strengths Korra?" he asks.

"I'm fast and I'm not bad in hand to hand combat."

"Excellent. There's a waterbending master on board waiting to teach you when we get to the city. Now we need to work on your strategy. What is the first thing you should do?"

"Grab a weapon at the cornucopia?"

"No. Run. You can grab something small if you're lucky. You should be able to get a weapon from someone if you find a source of water."

"You're assuming I'll be a decent waterbender."

"I'm sure you will be. You have something I've never seen in any other tribute. You have a spark I haven't seen in anyone since my father."

At the mention of his father a headache started to form in my head. "Was he a waterbender too?" I ask.

"Yes. He was quite powerful. He died sixteen years ago."

At that the headache only worsened. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right, I hadn't seen him since I was ten anyway."

My head feels like its going to explode. Suddenly I collapse. As I'm drifting off I swear I hear Tenzin say "Dad?"


	5. Chapter 4: The Faceless

**I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra, or the Hunger Games Trilogy. **

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><p><p>

I wake up to someone shaking me. I look over to my left to see a masked individual leaning over me. The mask is white and has two stripes where the mouth should be, both black. There are two holes for the eyes but I can see nothing in them. The figure gestures towards the door; it must be dinner time.

The table is set as it was, everyone is sitting where they were before. I look down at the table and I see something I hadn't expected: stewed sea prunes and five flavor soup. I continue to look around and I notice arctic hen and seal jerky. It looks beautiful.

I take my seat across from Tenzin.

"Are you all right, Korra?" he asks.

"I'm fine," I answer. "How long was I out?"

"Five hours. Shall we continue from where we left off after dinner?"

"Sure."

I continue the meal, enjoying every bite. I look over at Sakari and see he's not enjoying it as much as I am. Joo Dee seems to be politely picking at her food. The Sato seems to be disgusted as well. It must be a Southern Water Tribe thing.

Upon finishing I follow Tenzin back to the room from earlier. The Pai Sho table rests, the game unfinished. We sit down on opposite sides of the table.

"Let's talk about allies," he starts.

"Allies?"

"Yes. Surrounding yourself with four or five allies will really help your chances."

"Five?" I blurt out in surprise, "isn't that a bit much?"

"You're better off with more. If you can ditch them close to the end you'll be able to pick off whoever is left after they turn on each other."

"That seems a bit mean."

"These games are brutal. You need to be brutal to survive."

"I guess..." I murmur hesitantly. "I have a question."

"What is it?"

"When I woke up there was someone with a mask in my room. Who was she?"

"The Faceless."

"Faceless?"

"Criminals. The Fire Nation has made some agreement with a face stealing spirit. He takes the faces of people who commit great offenses. They can't speak but they can see."

I'm caught speechless. "They sound creepy," I say after a moment.

"Oh they are. I once saw past the mask, I can still see it when I close my eyes."

"Okay."

"Don't worry, they only use it on people in the mainland. It won't happen to you."

"Oh, good."

"Back to the games. Pop quiz! What type of ally do you want?"

"Strong, large ones?" I guess.

"Wrong. You want a mix. Some benders, some non. Some fast, some slow. Some smart, some slow. A mixed group will last longer. We'll talk more tomorrow," he says dismissing me.

I step into the hall and run into Sakari.

"Hi Sakari."

"Oh hi Korra," he replies, "how are you?"

"About as well as you'd expect," I answer, "you?"

"Same. You nervous about tomorrow?"

"Not really. I'm sure it can't be too bad."

"We're being modeled as pieces of meat for the Fire Nation to oogle at..."

"Its the best way to get sponsors," I defend.

"Its stupid."

"Its better than the interview at least."

"The interview is easy. You just have to say whatever you think the crowd wants to hear."

"But you have to sound convincing."

"I can pull it off. I worry that the act could evoke real emotions though," he says, sliding down the wall.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," I say, taking a swat on the flirt next to him. "Its like that saying: 'you need to look within yourself to save yourself from your other self. Only then will your true self reveal itself.'"

"I'm not familiar with that saying."

"The point is that within each of us lays potential for good and evil, you just need to dig deep enough."

"I think some idiot was just talking gibberish and someone just wrote it down."

"You're too negative. Take a bite of the silver sandwich."

"What?" he asks.

"Just an expression. The point is you'll be fine."

"How can you be sure?"

"You're a good person, nothing could change that."

"Thanks. I'm gonna go back to my room now. Good night Korra."

"Good night."

As I walk down the hall I hear two hushed voices in the room Sakari just came from.

"No you can't tell her," one voice says.

"She has a right to know Yukon."

"And what will you do about it Tenzin, teach her airbending?" asks Yukon.

"If it comes to that I can't just leave her. You can't force me to chose between the Avatar and my own daughter!" Tenzin's voice is beginning to raise.

"I know you want her to win but we can't throw the Avatar away. It was hard enough making sure she got reaped. We can't throw it away like that!"

"You can't," says Tenzin, " but I can, and I will if it comes to that."

"If it goes according to plan they'll both survive. She'll probably ally herself with the Avatar. They say relatives of old Avatars are drawn to the current one."

"You're probably right. I'm going to go to bed, long day ahead of us."

"It is. Good night."

I walk away with my mind spinning from what I just heard.

"The Avatar is going to be in the arena?" I mutter to myself before jumping into bed, "...she's going down."


	6. Chapter 5: The Capitol

I just realized I had a chapter written out that I never posted. Here it is!

**I don't own stuff here.**

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><p>I wake up to find one of the Faceless standing over me. She seems much more eerie today than yesterday. The eyes look dead, not that she has eyes.<p>

I get out of bed and take a shower. We didn't have showers in the South Pole because the pipes would freeze and we didn't have enough water in the desert. It's a nice sensation, the hot water running down my back. Upon finishing I step back to find the Faceless girl gone an outfit sitting on my bed. It's a a set of pink formal roles with a blue trim. It's too girly for my taste but I doubt I have a choice in the matter.

I walk into the hall to find the Faceless from before, waiting. She leads me to the end of the hall by the door that leads outside. Tenzin is there already.

"What's happening?" I ask.

"We're about to be dropped off on the roof of our living quarters." he answers. "We're on the tenth floor. You'll be meeting your stylist. He's eager to meet you. He thinks you have spark."

"I do?"

"He thinks so. I feel I should warn you, stylists are generally out there, bear with him."

At that moment a Peacekeeper motions us onto the balloon. As we move towards the building I look around at the city. It's bigger than both the Desert and the South Pole. The building seem to stretch for miles into the sky and the people look like sand, so plentiful and packed together. Near by I see a river that seems to stretch all around the city like calligraphy on a blank page.

"When do I meet my waterbending teacher?" I ask.

"After your big introduction at the opening ceremonies." he answers. I open my mouth to protest. "And don't argue. The ceremony is soon and you need to be dressed and ready to go."

We land on the roof and the Peacekeepers usher us to a door that leads to stairs. We go down them to find a room with a glass tube that goes through the floor. A moment later Sakari and Yukon come down and we enter the tube. Tenzin reaches into his cloak and pulls out a piece of paper with a series of numbers on it and spins them into a number wheel. The platform we're on starts going down and doesn't stop for two floors. We step into a large, ornate, sitting room. There are two couches and a TV in front of them. Joo Dee is standing in the middle of the room with a clipboard in her hand.

"It's time to see your prep teams. Down the hall on the right, first door on the left is Korra's, the one on the right is Sakari's."

I walk down to the room Joo Dee said and find two people inside.. Standing to the left is a man of medium build with blond hair and dark sideburns. He's wearing simple blue robes with a black trim. Sitting next to him is a girl with short, red hair, and piercing gold eyes. She's wearing a form fitting green dress that stretches to her ankles.

"Mihoko have you found it yet?" says the man in my direction. I turn around to see a woman behind me. She's tall with long, brown hair that hangs in a tight braid. She's wearing a skin tight orange jumpsuit

"The measuring tape is gone!" yells the one the man called Mihoko. "Aki did you check your pockets?"

Did you check yours?" he snaps back.

"Do I look like I have pockets? And don't act like you haven't been staring at me. I see you when you think I'm not looking." she answers.

"Eww. I did not to hear you say that about my brother." says the other girl.

"It's not my fault that he has no self control, Cai." replies Mihoko.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." says a voice from behind me. I turn around to find a man with dark hair that hangs in a loose on the back of his neck, strands of hair sticking out in every which way. He's wearing a sparkling purple top with two black vertical stripes that I now realize are a scarf, a black skirt, and a grey fedora. He's wearing spectacles, the left lens blue but the right one is clear. His lips are orange and his eyes are a deep blue.

"Zian! Not at all." says Aki.

"I notice you haven't started on our tribute yet. She looks like she could use your attention. Bathe her and get her measurements!" he orders.

"But sir we lost the measuring tape." says Mihoko.

"It's in Aki's pocket, I can see it sticking out. We need her to be ready!"

The cleaning is far from pleasant. The unknown hands are not welcome in such intimate areas. Their hands are rough and intrusive. Upon finishing they call Zian back in. He inspects me closely.

"You have hips, but your waist leaves bit to be desired. The chest is fine, but it's a bit out of proportion. You give me something t work with. Let's start with the make up. Cai, Mihoko, make the adjustments to her outfit.

Zian is gentler than his team was. His touch is light as he applies red paint to my face.

"I wanted to keep you true to your heritage so I'm making you a river spirit." he says to me randomly.

"Sounds stuffy." I say in response, not having expected him to talk to me.

"It's not." he says with a chuckle. "She's a Fire Nation water spirit. Legend says she was last spotted 75 years ago in some speck of a fishing village. It's a popular vacation spot among Spirit enthusiasts."

"She sounds interesting." I say.

"Oh, she is. The last time she appeared she destroyed a factory polluting her river. She always sounded more Water Tribe than Fire Nation to me. Oh here they are with your robes now."

"Here." says Cai. "Lenna's team was less than helpful. Sakari's robes are a bit simple though."

"They're based on her lover." says Zian. He turns to me. "He was a fisherman from the Fire Nation. Their love was forbidden by the laws of the era. He was burnt on a ship on a river on the night that would have been their wedding. The woman drowned trying to save him, wearing the robes se was to be married in. He wasn't able to move on without her and he didn't know of her death, so she became the river spirit in order to find him."

"What happened to him?" I ask.

"No one knows. Many people think his spirit possessed a man and kept switching upon death of the his body. There you are."

I look in the mirror and I see a woman with red marks on her face and a long, flowing robe. She's wearing a hat with a veil. It takes me a moment to realize that the woman in the mirror is me.

"You are the Painted Lady."


	7. Chapter 6: The Opening Ceremonies

Finished a chapter finally! I'd have done it sooner, but I've been so lazy recently. It should be coming at a faster rate now,

**I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or the Legend of Korra.**

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><p>"And a beautiful one at that." Zian finishes.<p>

"That's me?" I ask.

"Yes it is Korra. We better get you to the balloon, the parade will be starting soon." he says quickly.

"Parade?" I ask, still looking at my reflection.

"Yes." he answers. "The tributes are paraded through the street to the opening ceremonies on balloons. Businesses generally use this as an opportunity to advertise. They pay for balloons and their name is featured on it. You and Sakari will share a balloon and there will be a pilot in the back controlling it."

"And then I get to learn waterbending?" I ask hopefully.

"No. Then you have to stand through the opening ceremonies. Once there you will exit the balloon and stand on the chariot waiting for you. You should only be waiting for ten minutes before being whisked into the stadium for the ceremonies. They should only take an hour, so you should be back in two hours "

"And then waterbending?" I ask, still hopeful.

"Yes, then waterbending. You'll meet your teacher during dinner. He's eager to meet you." says Zian.

"Everyone is eager to meet me it seems." I say, slightly annoyed.

"I wasn't looking forward to meeting you." Aki yells as Zian and I are leaving the room

"That's reassuring." I say.

"Isn't it?" says Zian. "You'll be fine. Aki's an idiot."

"But what if most viewers are idiots?" I ask.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'm certain you'll make it through these games in one piece, two pieces max." he says.

"I like to think it'll be only one, losing an ear would be less than desirable." I say in response.

"Agreed, it would be hard to style you without it." he says as Sakari walks out. He is wearing simple maroon clothes, no frills or pomp.

"Let's get you two on the roof now." says Joo Dee as she pushes us out the door until we reach the elevator. We wait for a moment as it lowers onto our floor. Upon arrival on the roof we are greeted by the sight of two people, a man, dressed in hog monkey furs, and a girl, dressed in spotless white robes. The boy has pale skin and is a head taller than me and has shoulder length hair, while the girl is only a couple inches shorter than I am and has dark skin and a shaved head.

"Eska, stop standing so close to me." the boy says.

"We are going to be on a balloon for half an hour, Tahno, and then we'll be on a chariot for an hour, I can't stay away from you." says Eska, politely.

"Usually when girls say that to me they are referring to my appearance." says Tahno as the previous balloon takes off.

"Quiet Tahno, we have company. Hello fellow waterbenders!" yells Eska.

"Hello" says Sakari. "I'm Sakari, and this is Korra."

The two of them shake hands in the old Water Tribe way. It fell out of use decades ago.

"And I am Eska, this is Tahno." she says motioning to the her fellow tribute. "It's a pleasure to meet you. We should have tea some time before the games."

"We should." Sakari agrees. "At lunch tomorrow perhaps?"

"Sounds great. We can compare waterbending styles." says Eska. "Back home we were only allowed to bend one day of the week under close guard."

"We aren't allowed to bend at all." I say.

"We need it." says Eska. "It's our only defense against the canyon crawlers, they're rather fire resistant. Too be honest I don't see why we live somewhere where giant creatures want to eat us. The meat isn't awful though once you get used to it. The swampbenders say it's similar to what they used to eat."

"Fascinating. Our food is imported from rather far, not that there is anywhere that could really be called 'close.'. The bread is stale by the time it gets to us." says Sakari in response.

"That's less than ideal." says Eska as a pair of gamemakers motion to her. "Well we have to go now. It was a pleasure meeting you."

As they leave two more tributes arrive on the roof, both of them wearing ceremonial robes. Uninterested, I walk out of earshot to the edge of the roof. I look over the city and see a lot of tall buildings and bodies of water, nothing I hadn't already seen.

After a moment I'm called over to get on the balloon and we head off. We ride in relative silence for the first few minutes, looking out at the people on the roofs as we pass. When I look to my right I see Sakari is looking over at me.

"Are you ready?" he asks, his voice low so the pilot doesn't hear him. "We only get one first impression."

"Not really. I don't think this will end well for me." I respond. I feel the air move as we descend.

"You'll be fine. Just remember you're doing this for you, not for them. Then they can't touch you." he says sincerely. He has a calming presence.

The balloon lands and we get off. We walk forward to a chariot and step on. I look around at the other tributes. My eye is quickly drawn to the boy from District 1. He's tall, with hair that spikes at the front. He wears robes in colors of orange and yellow, Air Nomad robes.

I follow his gaze to the boy from District 5. He's around my height and wears simple black clothes with one of those round hats earthbenders used to wear. He seems perfectly content talking to the girl from his district. He doesn't seem to be doing anything that would draw the firebender's attention.

I look around and my eyes settle on the girl from District 12. I look for a resemblance to Tenzin in her, but I don't see it. She is tall, with dark hair and skin. Her eyes are a deep, piercing blue. For whatever reason I feel certain that she is not Tenzin's daughter.

I survey the area as the chariots set out. We ride into a stadium and in a booth overlooking us I see Fire Lord Azula. To her right stands a masked man. His mask is different from the Faceless. Where theirs were simple his is elaborate, with gold and white and an actual mouth hole. He wears a hood on his head.

I am looking at the head gamemaker and the Fire Lord's most trusted advisor, Amon. He has worked under Her Majesty for ten years before being put in charge of the games this year. No one seems to know what lies under the mask.

The chariots stop and the Fire Lord steps up to the microphone. Her movements have lost no grace to old age. It may have even refined them.

"Citizens of the Fire Nation, welcome to the opening ceremonies of the 70th annual Hunger Games. It has been quite a few years since I have seen a more promising batch of tributes. Since the days of my father, Fire Lord Ozai, I have always eagerly looked forward to these games each year, as have all you here and those listening at home. These games mark the anniversary of the unity we now share. These games are but a small price to pay to live in a perfect world. I hope to see a good show from you, tributes."

When she finished those words she turned around and walked back to her seat. The chariots began to move back the way they came. As we go forward the Fire Lord's words haunt me to my core.


End file.
